My Infertility Journey

My infertility journey has been quite the unexpected one.  I hope to share with you my story in hopes to raise awareness about infertility.  I am a healthy 28 year old active female but I've always struggled with irregular periods.  I was a collegiate cross country runner so I assumed the irregularity was due to my excessive exercise as a college athlete.  After college my exercise decreased, but my period never came.  My doctor recommend I go on birth control to help regulate my period.  I did and stayed on it for the next 5 years.  About a year after my husband and I got married, we decided we'd like to start a family.  We thought it would be as simple as me going off birth control...boy was I wrong.  I never expected such a long journey was ahead of us.

Below is a timeline of the journey.

• May 2013 - Get Married!
  
• December 2013 - Stop birth control
• March 2014 - Visit OBGYN due to lack of period and no pregnancy.  Was put on 50mg clomid.
• April - July 2014 - No success with clomid, no ovulation confirmed through blood work or test strips
• August 2014 - Referred to Reproductive Endocrinologist.  Battery of test reveal no abnormal hormone level or issues.  Husband is check and is normal.  UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY! - the most frustrating diagnoses ever!  Doctor puts me on a stronger dose of clomid and monitors my cycle.  Once my eggs reached 20mm he gave me a trigger shot to administer at home to induce ovulation.  At 10 dpo I began bleeding.  I thought it was my period. I called my doctor and he prescibred me to start clomid again on day 3 of my period.  After day 5 and 2 doses of 150mg clomid I felt that something was off.  I took a pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE!  Turns out the bleeding was implantation bleeding.
• September 2014 - Began bleeding again around 7 weeks - heavy bleeding, red blood, lots of clots.  Assumed I miscarried.  It happened on a Saturday night, I called my doctor and he sadi to just wait it out and let it pass but to come in on Monday.  The whole weekend I was a mess, crying and depressed about what had happened.  Monday morning we go to the doctor and do a sonogram.  They see a heartbeat!  I passed out due to the rush of emotions!  I couldn't believe it.  They ran more blood work and found I was positive for MTHFR.  MTHFR is a condition that increases your risk for blood clots and reduces your folate absorbency.  I immediately started on baby aspirin and a new vitamin with a readily absorbale version of folate (Vitafol).  They also started me on progesterone suppositories nightly.
• April 2015 - Delivered a healthy baby boy!

Fast forward to a year later...April 2016 - still having issues with my period so go back to RE.  More blood work is done and I am diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve due to a high FSH level.  We are currently trying for our second child with the help of clomid and trigger shot.  We've gone through one failed cycle and I am currently in my two week wait.

How has infertility affected you?  What topics would you like to learn more about?